Archive for Fashion & Shopping

I say occasional, because I’ve only ever had them done 4 times… But I know heaps of girlfriends who get them re-filled every 3-4 weeks.

I guess I’ve viewed eyelash extensions to be a lower priority to getting my hair done and getting a facial. Buuuut, I’m beginning to change my mind about them now.

Long, natural eyelashes really do make my face and eyes POP. They are quite easy to manage and clean on a daily basis. And there is no need curl my lashes, or use mascara, or very much eye makeup at all on a daily basis too.

Then I went to another eyelash place (a lady with a home salon) and had a very mediocre experience. I didn’t get my eyelids burnt off or anything, I just felt that the lashes were not done nicely. They looked a bit messy and they fell off within 1.5 weeks. I didn’t think it was worth the money I spent.

So since then, I’ve been going back to 4NE1, because both their eyelashes and their technique are excellent.

With lots of end of year events, parties, Christmas and New Year coming up – I decided that I’m waaaay too lazy to put on false eyelashes 3-4 times a week. So I went back to get eyelash extensions again and managed to take a snap of my face before and 1.5 hours after.

They looked amazing!

Btw, the ceiling of the shop was RED, which reflected onto my face and it looked like I had a bad sunburn. So I did a bit of colour correction to my face, which made it look weirdly airbrushed!

Once again I’m super happy with them.

And I’ve learnt my lesson… when I find a good thing, I should just stick with it!

Here are the details if you’re keen to give them a go.

4NE1 Korean Beauty and Nail Salon
98 Kooyong Road, Rivervale

They don’t have a website, just a 4NE1 Facebook page with lots of before and after client photos.

I kinda, sorta was accidentally talked into signing up for a $49 unlimited Hot Yoga deal recently. So I’ve been doing hot yoga 3 times a week, and regular yoga once a week.

That’s a lot of yoga. And that’s a lot of sweaty active wear!

I thought I would take advantage of all the online sales and pick up some new activewear.

So.

Black activewear. What do you think? It looks hell boring, I know.

I like the idea of cool, funky, colourful prints… I love seeing other girls wear colourful prints… and I have quite a few brightly coloured items myself. But I think in reality I’m just an all-black kind of girl.

I found some black pieces with different detailing and eeeeek, I’m loving them so much!

I have been eyeing a tan leather bag for a really long time… and at first I was looking for a tan leather tote.

But I had to be honest with myself, I’d hardly use a big “casual” tote.

Nowadays I zip out the door with my phone, keys, purse, a little beauty case with lip balm + compact and a pair of sunglasses on my head. So these 4-5 items would be rattling around in a cavernous tote, which is a bit silly.

I was off to a meeting the other day, and outfit-wise, I was feeling reeeeeally lazy. I threw on a simple and casual top + bottom combo, with a sharp blazer and a structured handbag to make it look smart.

Shopbop is having a Buy More, Save More Sale from 22 – 29 Nov. Enjoy 15% off orders over $200, or enjoy 20% off orders over $500, or if you’re game, indulge in 25% off orders over $800. Use the code “GOBIG16″ at the checkout! There are some brand and product exclusions, so check out the terms and conditions on the site.

I had a long grey cardigan for many years; I bought it from Country Road, it’s 100% wool, I wore it every year (all through Autumn, Winter and Spring), but now it has moth holes in it and I don’t really wear it anymore. I do still wear it out on the weekends or out to buy groceries… but I certainly don’t wear it to meetings or any where I have to look smart or professional.

So I’ve had my eye on replacing it, because as I said, I pulled it out of storage to wear it every year. It was always in high rotation for 9 months of the year. It was definitely a timeless wardrobe piece for me.

I don’t have much experience with cashmere. I have a few cotton cashmere blend jumpers, a bamboo cashmere jumper and I have a longhair cashmere cardigan (which is really soft and fluffy).

But what I CAN say about this Grana Cardigan is — OH MY, it’s beeeeautiful!

It’s so refined, luxurious, super soft, not itchy at all, warm, yet lightweight and a bit breathable. It really does say this is a luxurious product.

I really like the cuffs too. It’s ribbed and double layered, so there’s a feeling of a superior finish to it – rather than floppy, cuffs that might/warp stretch over time.

The cardigan is not thin or flimsy. And it’s not itchy at all. Wool tends to be a teeny-weeny bit itchy, but it’s bearable. This cashmere is soft and smooth. I’m so happy to wear it against my skin. The knit feels really strong, tight, firm but super soft.

I did a quick search online (um, at Nordstrom and Shopbop) and found some “high end” brands offering something similar. Their price point ranges between $300 – $700. So this Grana one is pretty affordable in comparison.

I’m wearing a size XS, which I chose based on the chest measurement from the info about the garment measurements – very handy. I wish all fashion stores would have individual garment measurements!

It’s made from 100% Italian Cotton Poplin – which HONESTLY means nothing to me. I have no idea what that is. It just feels like a man’s business shirt. A really nice, smooth one.

This Poplin Shirt has a lovely roomy, casual and relaxed feel to it. Yet because of the firm cotton, it has a business-like, polished look to it. I really like it! It’s a real classic piece.

I can definitely seeing myself wearing it for years.

(As long I don’t spill coffee on it!)

I measured my chest, compared it to the garment measurements on the site… and chose the closest matching size, which was XXS.

I thought, maybe I could try going two sizes up and go for the BAGGY look… you know, like I just spent the night at my boyfriend’s apartment, and I had nothing to wear so I grab his shirt and wear nothing else underneath — HAHA.

In the end, I just wanted a shirt that DIDN’T make me look fat, so I chose the size with the measurements that fitted me best. Ha!

10% Off Discount Code

Grana has extended the discount code for my readers until the end of December!

You can get 10% off your total order and FREE Shipping, by using the code “KARENxGRANA” at the checkout. Valid until 31 December 2016.

I prefer liquid eyeliners over pencil eyeliners because, my biggest problem is that I have OILY EYELIDS.

This means my eyeliner tends to transfer to my upper eyelid and smudge off throughout the day. I also find that eye primers and eye bases don’t work for me.

This is what I do to manage my oily eyelids: I apply the eyeliner. I dust my whole eyelid with skin-coloured eyeshadow or powder — but of course, as I sweat throughout the day, the powder wears off, so I’m constantly having to find a mirror and apply powder to my eyelids during the day, and I’m also wiping the black transfer off my eyelids all day too. Haha it’s such as hassle.

I found a few brands that are pretty good: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel (brush and gel pot is a bit fiddly though), Dior (bit too expensive!), Revlon (pretty good for the price!). They all still smudge after 10 hours, and I manage this by giving my eyelids a dust around the 5-6 hour mark.

Lots of big name brands DON’T work for me; they smudge and transfer after 1 or 2 hours of wear – Clinique, NARS, Sephora, and lots of drugstore brands like Maybelline, L’Oreal, Max Factor, Covergirl to name a few.

Of course I had my doubts (because of its low price), but turns out that it’s really good! It has excellent staying power!

This is what I do now: After applying this Rimmel eyeliner and dusting my lids with powder in the morning (say at 8am), my eyes will stay smudge-proof for around 10 hours, till 6pm. So good!

If I’m going out in the evening, I will just clean the top of my eyelids (leaving the eyeliner in place), reapply the eyeliner, reapply the powder, and it’ll last all through the evening.

Then at the end of the evening, a simple wipe of Gentle Eye and Makeup Remover (I use L’Oreal) and the eyeliner comes off REALLY easily. In two swipes! No need to rub again and again and again and again!

It claims to be “24 Hours Wear” but I haven’t tested whether it stays on for 24 hours! Maybe it does?

The tip is softer than usual. A lot of online reviewers say it’s flimsy and crap, but I really like it! It feels like a soft brush tip.

It costs $13.95 from Priceline, but I saw them on 50% OFF at Coles, so I bought two… and put one in a little makeup bag to leave in my car!

I’ve been using this eyeliner for a few months now. I was sent the product as a free sample, but I believe it’s a winner for the great price, and I’m super happy to share!

My dear husband has been THE BEST HUSBAND EVER – as long as I have dinner ready to go, the moment he comes home at 6pm, I can head out the door, he takes the kids to the park, feeds, cleans, helps with homework, puts them to bed and cleans up. What a guy!

Anyway I was determined to wear some of my old dresses to these events.

This is a Petite Lace Dress from ASOS that I bought last year. And can you believe it… it’s still available online, in black. It was brought back into stock by popular demand, several times.

I have a few flared-sleeved tops, but none with sleeves THIS FLARED! They are REALLY big! Ridiculous really.

Honestly I see these kind of tops as a temporary trend and know they will be gone in 1-2 seasons. So I’m very reluctant to spend a lot of money on them.

Anyway, recently Shein asked me to pick something from their new collection, which is how I have come to own this top.

Err… and it looks really cool!

It looks SO fun, flirty and unique, that I have to admit that I’m changing my tune now!

I kind of want to wear it every where.

Things I love about it:

I like that it is slightly fitted. Most flared-sleeve items these days are really baggy and I find them too overwhelming for my frame.

I love the simple white with black detail. It instantly goes with any of my black pants, skirt, and jeans in my wardrobe… and it gives my outfit a lovely, modern lift. Personally I wouldn’t wear it with denim shorts, but that’s just me. I’d stick to tailored pants, pencil skirts and cigarette cropped pants.

It fits really well – I’m wearing Size XS.

Not so great things about it:

The price is rather cheap. It’s US$11.

But you know what, the material is ok.

It’s a smooth, stretchy, 95% Polyester 5% Spandex, with a slight shine to it. The stitching is just passable. It’s a teeny-tiny bit see through, but I’wearing a nude strapless bra, so it looks completely fine.

It’s fitted, but it’s also loose in areas. Which is why I tucked it into a skirt.

The sleeves are totally impractical, and just a bit of fashion fun.

So… after wearing this top, I might actually look around for something similar, but in a higher quality.

But having said all that, I was complimented 3-4 times during the night for it!

I don’t know what the retail price was, but I estimate it was AUD $390 judging from something similar online. I managed to buy it for $50, which was pretty amazing.

Admittedly, from the photos online of the skirt, I didn’t realise the split was so high on the leg. It turns out that the split went all the way up to the waist!

However, being Dion Lee (the Australian master-tailor prodigy) this skirt fell and moved SO well with my body and legs – that there was no danger of any peek-a-boo action… just a very sexy thigh split.

I don’t know if you’ve ever worn something so completely and utterly amazing and well made, that you just walk around, looking down at your clothes thinking – it this for real??!?

Sometimes I feel too casual in flat sandals, but too formal in high heeled sandals. So these are a lovely mid-heel pair of sandals, which are in a simple style, sit wonderfully between casual and formal, and are perfect for the hot weather.

They have cushiony padding at the heels and balls of the shoe too, which make it easy for me to wear them all day too.

Plus the heel strap is elasticated, so I just slip them on without any need to fiddle with the buckle – so good.

Then I requested to swap the Black Suede for a Winter Rose Suede. There are colour swatches on site and the colour matching was pretty spot on.

There are metallic leathers, suede, animal print, snake print, printed suede, smooth, nubuk, in hundreds of colours and patterns. It does get a bit overwhelming, but if you have a clear idea of what you want, then it’s very easy to find it.

If you don’t know what you want, then there are lots of ideas and suggestions on the site and you only need to pop onto instagram and search up the #kjacques tag to see what other people have chosen.

The shoes are handmade in France, using genuine leather uppers and soles from France, Italy or Spain… and the craftsmanship is just divine!

I ordered a size 36 and the fit is snug and perfect. I’m usually a size AUS 5 or 5.5 for sandals.

In collaboration with Vision Direct, we are celebrating the Spring/Summer season with a giveaway!!

I’m also saying a bit of a thank you to all my readers who have stuck with me over the years. Less and less people are reading blogs these days, but it turns out I still have a strong readership and I just want to give back to you guys – thank yooou!

I reviewed a pair of Baby Audreys (Havana) on my blog a few months ago, and as I said, they are a fashion classic. I found them to be lightweight, fit perfectly within the area of my face and the lenses are not too large or overwhelming.

They are just gorgeous sunglasses.

The actual product name is Celine CL 41053/S Baby Audrey 807/1E and there are measurements on the product page if you need to check the size.

I also measured the total length of the front of the sunglasses, from outer eye to outer eye is 13.9cm. So you can use that measurement and compare it with your existing sunglasses.

Ok I know that’s such a “fashion blogger” thing to say. So maybe I’ll call it My Best Fashion Find for Summer.

The team at Hello Parry recently let me pick out a few items to feature on my blog.

I had been eyeing this skirt for months and so I finally grabbed it, because it’s such a gorgeous colour, it’s fun and feminine, the pleats and the metallic shine make it a statement skirt (but not TOO statement).

Let’s say you have been invited to your niece’s backyard garden birthday party; you think all the women will wear stunning floral dresses… but you’re in the wrong head-space for dressing up, or you’re too busy to find something suitable. Soooo just wear a simple off shoulder top, this pleated skirt, some sandals and you’ll be all set!

THAT’S exactly what I did haha.

The metallic shine, the pleats, the midi length of the skirt were all special enough to transform my look.

And the other day, I was invited to dinner, where I KNEW everyone was going to wear something nice, and seriously, all I wanted to do was wear a black shirt, black jeans, black coat and black boots.

I just swapped the jeans with this skirt and wayhey – an easy peasy, wow outfit and I didn’t even try that hard.

It makes me look “dressed up” without looking TOO dressed up.

In terms of sizing, I’m usually a size AU6 / UK6, and this skirt is a Size 6.

The waist band is quite a firm fit. I wear it high on the skinniest part of my waist and it’s still a tiny bit tight. So while I don’t mind this Size S, I’d probably be happier wearing a Size 8. But I’m not going to return or swap it for a size up.

And because the waist band is a bit tight, the pleats kind of puff out a bit. But it’s not that noticeable.

The fabric is LOVELY – it’s soft to touch, silky satin feel, has a great weight to it and it’s not see through at all.

And I DON’T need to iron it at all – which is simply amazing. I had it folded up 3 times and stuffed into a bag with some other clothes, and I took it out, gave it a shake and it was good to go. Love that so much.

Lots of other brands have released a version of a Metallic Pleated Skirt, such as Gucci, 3.1 Philip Lim, Proenza Schouler, Alice + Olivia and many more… but um… you’ll have to pay $700 and above for those.

I love how it instantly transforms any bottom – whether it’s blue jeans, black jeans, a pencil skirt, a circle skirt or just plain shorts.

That’s what I want from a new top! I have a wardrobe full of basics and classics… so now I want one or two on-trend items that work with what I have, to keep my look current.

I’ve seen these kinds of pretty, off-shoulder, lace or crochet tops for a while now.

They never really appealed to me, because they look like flimsy, lacey nothings that will blow off, or fall off I were to reach across my body to dig into my handbag haha. I’m quite afraid of the old nip slip.

Anyway, I’m glad to tell you that this top feels SO secure. It’s a bodice with a hook fasten (thank god) and a stiff zip.

The bodice wraps very nicely around my bust, over my strapless bra and feels super comfy. I feel very “supported” too. In fact, this top has some mega lifting action happening and all I can say, is hello cleavage!

The lace shoulders/arms have a soft elastic, that feels really nice (not too tight, not too loose)… so the whole top feels very together, if you get what I mean.

Omg I sound like a broken record, going on and on about my Grana silk pieces.

I’m not being paid for this, really! Haha. The truth is, I bought some pieces from Grana (I wrote an honest review here), then they sent me some pieces (for free! for reviewing!) and then I bought a few more pieces myself after that. So I have lots of Grana stuff.

Grana also gave me a 10% off Discount Code, which ends on the 1st November. So I wanted to review and share my thoughts on the pieces I have, BEFORE the 1 Nov – so you guys can take advantage of the discount.

Again, if you buy the matching coloured top, you can tuck the top into the pants and it’ll look like you’re wearing a jumpsuit.

I’m wearing the Size XS pants. They are supposed to sit a little higher on the waist, so make sure you click on the “Size & Fit” tab on the Silk Ankle Pants product page and double check your measurements with the garment measurements.

In terms of length, on the model on the website, they are “cropped” style. But on me – I’m 160cm – they graze my ankle… which is still cool! I like their slim fit silhouette.

They are lined (two layers of silk), which is really nice. It adds a good weight and quality to the pants.

If these pants were in a different colour, I wouldn’t be able to see through them. But since these were WHITE SILK pants, when I wore white underwear, I was able to see them faintly. I swapped to nude underwear and it was all good – couldn’t see my knickers!

If I had to say something negative about these pants, I’d say this: they are loose, floppy pants. So if you scroll back up and look closely at my crotch (yep!) and the seams, you’ll see that the fabric buckles a bit and it doesn’t look crisp or tailored. (Having said that, I should just buy suit pants if I wanted a tailored look.)

Otherwise I’m soooo happy with the pants for summer!

10% Off Discount Code

Get 10% off your total order by using the code “KARENxGRANA” at the checkout. Valid until 1 November 2016.

The sun is finally out and I’m super duper happy to get me some Vitamin D :)

It’s the school holidays at the moment, and I managed to dump my kids with my parents (thank god for grandparents!) while I zipped around getting a whole lot of jobs done.

After that, we all headed out for lunch, a play in a park and a bit of Pokemon hunting haha.

Yes my kids drive me crazy, I’m constantly snapping and growling at them (especially at that bottle flipping thing?!?). But my life is wonderfully domestic and kid-full at the moment, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Hey everyone! Remember a few weeks ago I reviewed some Grana silk tops, where I didn’t like one top (I returned it), and I fell in looooove with the other?

Well Grana got in touch with me and sent me a few items on my wishlist (wayhey!).

So I guess you can say I’m being sponsored, but I’m not actually getting paid to say a particular thing. I’m still just sharing my own opinion as usual, about the items that I chose, I just didn’t pay for those items myself.

Also, Grana offered all my readers a 10% discount code; you can be an existing customer or a new customer to use the code, scroll down to the end of this post to grab it.

My first worry about big, shapeless, flowy dresses is always: does this dress make me look fat???

Haha. Well don’t know about that, but it does fit me very well on top and it hides my waist, tummy, bottom and most of my thighs under that flowy skirt.

OK actually my real concern for shapeless dresses is: how does it fit at my chest and under my arms?

Usually when I try on spaghetti strap dresses, the shoulder straps are always soooo long that the dress sits awkwardly low on my chest and I show too much cleavage. Or my bra peeks out at places. Not with this dress!

The fitting is just right for my petite frame.

And because it fit so well on top, I felt really confident to move around in it. I didn’t have to worry or fuss around in the dress – is my skirt riding up? Is it clinging to my butt? Did I eat too much, is my tummy sticking out? And other silly dress worries.

I just felt really relaxed and comfortable in it.

Again, the area under my arms fits me just right and you can’t see my strapless bra.

The back of the dress is a racerback style – it’s exactly the same style as my Tibi racerback top.

I like the back. It’s a bit different, and it shows off my shoulder blades?

OK, if I had to mention some negatives about this dress:

1) It’s SILK and such a pain in the ass to iron haha!! I have an iron with a “Silk” setting, but it doesn’t work very well. So I have to set my iron to ULTRA HIGH WITH STEAM setting and wave it over my garment bit by bit. It’s a bit dangerous (I could drop the iron on my garment and ruin it), plus it takes ages to get rid of the creases this way.

2) It’s a teeny-tiny bit long for what I like. I like my dresses to be short-ish, so that I show off a bit more leg. But that’s just my personal preference. Hmm, actually looking at the photo, the length is ok. It looks fine and classy.

3) It’s silk! And I have to dry clean it. So I’m a bit precious whenever I wear it.

4) It comes in 6 colours (Black, White, Navy, Grey, Olive and Mulberry) which is a good thing. But I would LOVE to have this dress in a Rose/Blush colour, and it’s not an option, booo.

Other positive things to point out about the dress…

The dress is actually double lined (two layers of silk) so the fabric hangs and drapes really nicely.

I decided to live a little and choose a vibrant colour, instead of a neutral colour, and I’m so glad I did!

It’s such a versatile style. You can wear it with heels, flats, sandals and sneakers. I actually wore it to a fashion show as a TOP, asymmetrically tucked into white pants, like this!

This is me, with my lovely fashion friends, Grace and Sandy. Photo taken by the lovely Josh from inlovewithdotdotdot.

So there you have it; I think that’s about all I want to share about the dress.

I have a Garden Wedding to attend later this year (in summer) and I’m hunting for a blush / peach / pinky dress.

I totally love the drape and wrap style of these dresses. Feminine and sexy, I like how these are a bit different to the off-shoulder, body con dresses that everyone seems to be wearing to weddings these days.

But are they too casual wear to a wedding? A bit of bling, a pair of killer heels and a cool clutch — should work right?

You know that thing that happens when you buy a car – you choose a colour thinking that no one else has that colour… then for the next 3 years, all you seem to see on the road is everybody driving THE SAME CAR MODEL IN THE SAME COLOUR AS YOU?!

Left: Self Portrait Strappy Lace Dress. Oh my this dress is exquisite! And unique! And beautiful! I am completely smitten! Love the lines, the silhouette, the sheer panels, the contrasting stripes, the flare skirt, the lace – all of it.

Right: Next is the Self Portrait Azalea Dress, in Navy. This is a popular style, re-done by quite a few other brands, but I’ve never seen it in this kind of dark blue before. I love the style of the bodice, skirt and the lace is just lovely.

Left: Diane von Furstenberg Zarita Lace Dress. Yes I’ve been considering this dress for a while now. Love the classic design, the flattering shape, the elegant high neck and the 3/4 sheer lace sleeves.

And lastly, this Lovers + Friends Bellini Dress, which is a little more affordable than the others. I really like the contrast between the flower lace and the geometric lace. Again I’m loving that sweetheart V neckline.

Hmm I might have to sell my Lover dress in order to afford these dresses… so they might have to sit in my wish list for a little while longer! Oh well!

A few years ago, I bought these ASOS Pointed-Toe Nude Heels (which were non-leather) because they looked gorgeous. Since then, they have definitely been a timeless staple to my wardrobe.

However, they are a teeny, tiny bit big for me (even though I slip in a cushioned sole insert). So I have to admit that when I walk in them… I take smallish steps and I walk in a slightly careful way. I don’t have a confident stride.

Thus I have been very keen to upgrade to a leather version of this shoe. And to get one that actually fits me properly.

However, I received a giftcard from Shopbop and spotted these beauties on sale (still on sale too!) – Stuart Weitzman Pumps Daisy 90mm in Light Camel.

I really liked the fact the shoe had a 90mm heel. I think that a 100mm heel is a “high heel standard” these days. But 90mm heels still look fantastic, they are a more comfortable height and you can wear them for longer periods of time.

In terms of sizing… it was pretty risky. I didn’t know anything about Stuart Weitzman sizing… so I had to guess and hope. Turns out the sizing was PERFECT. No need for a shoe insert. I’m super happy!!

In terms of colour… the site makes it look quite yellow/sand colour, which is nice. However, it turns out the colour is perfectly between a pinkish nude and a beige nude. Really, really pretty in real life.

(First with New York Fashion Week earlier this month, then London, Milan and then Paris.)

While I don’t go to International Shows, I love supporting my local fashion industry. I know so many designers, photographers, stylists, creatives, models, event organisers and more – who all work so hard doing what they love – I always feel super proud for them during this time of year.

Anyway, I try to make an effort to go to the local events. Every year, I have so many good intentions to arrange with local boutiques to borrow a dress or clutch, to proudly showcase some WA labels and independent boutiques. But it was not to be.

I’ve been really busy with my work and I genuinely feel quite bad I missed the opportunity.

(Yes, I know I don’t actually have to wait for the Perth Fashion Festival in order to showcase my local favourites, so consider this a promise to start doing just that!)

In terms of my outfits, I had to fall back on stuff from my wardrobe. I have absolutely no problems with wearing the same item twice!

This is what I put together.

I’m wearing my gorgeous Lover Dress (which I bought on sale here). I wore this dress earlier in the year for a wedding in Bali, and I might wear it to a ball event later in the year… so I consider it money well spent!

(The festival has been growing by leaps and bounds over the years, and I heard that tickets were quite hard to get!)

Thus I’m determined to draw out a slightly different view of the fashion festival for those who are interested.

Firstly, let’s step aside from all the glitz, glamour and cray-cray pea-cocking… let’s talk about the production.

Very rarely do I get swept up and immersed into a fashion show. Virtual reality is all the buzz right now, and while we didn’t exactly see 3D projections and Tron landscapes… there was a very strong, visual nod towards it.

It was the combination of dark, DARK lighting, the delicious head thumping music, the blackened mirrored catwalk, the dramatic spotlights, and a mesmerising, floor-to-ceiling display of kaleidoscope ariel video… of the Australian outback reflecting off the catwalk.

It was superb!

The audience was treated to collections by a selection of Australian designers making waves in the international and national scene – Dion Lee, Bianca Spender, Flannel, Romance Was Born and Zhivago.